Hawaii Gas said it filed an application last week with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the island state.
The company is requesting to begin the first of three phases of the LNG import project, in which gas will be shipped from the mainland United States in conventional insulated intermodal containers. It will be used for emergency backup purposes to supplement feedstock supply.
Hawaii does not have any naturally occurring oil and gas resources and relies on imported petroleum. The state imported 42 million bbl of crude and 4 million bbl of finished petroleum products last year. Ninety-five percent of that import volume was from foreign countries.
The company currently makes most of Honolulu’s gas from naphtha feedstock supplied by the Tesoro Kapolei Refinery on Oahu.
Pending approval from FERC and the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, the company intends to begin importing LNG this year.
